With soil health increasingly at risk in the modern world, the popular foodie said she has learnt through her own experiences just how important it is to be informed and involved.

"I started making my own compost when I was 14, and I also studied horticulture at Lincoln University - but for all this, it's only in recent years that I have started to understand that creating healthy strong soils that will enable the uptake of important nutrients takes a lot more than compost," she said.

"The health of our soils is at the heart of our continued prosperity as a species."

The soil science conference which runs from December 3 to 6 will also feature presentations from a range of key researchers, industry leaders, consultants, regulators and land managers on all things soil related.

Dr Dave Houlbrooke
Photo credit: AgResearch

Society of Soil Science president Dr Dave Houlbrooke said the challenges for food production in New Zealand are greater than ever, and therefore the need for quality soil science has never been greater.

"I think we will see from the conference some fascinating insights into the state of the soils that our food production relies so heavily on, the connection between our soils, farming systems and the products that they deliver," he said.